The initial wave of NBA preseason games has come and gone.

Ben Simmons' wish for a trade away from the Philadelphia 76ers remains ungranted.

The Association's latest disgruntled star standoff has become a game of which side blinks first: Simmons, who is feeling the financial hit of his holdout, or the Sixers, who seem to have encountered a more tepid trade market than expected?

We'll dig into the latest Simmons buzz and more in this rumor roundup.

Pacers, Kings Interested in Simmons

While Simmons is stuck with the Sixers for now, there are teams trying to pry him loose.

The Indiana Pacers and Sacramento Kings are among them, per SNY's Ian Begley, who added that Caris LeVert's name has been mentioned in talks with Indiana.

Only Philly's front office knows whether a package built around LeVert would be a big enough return. The Sixers set their asking price at an "All-Star-caliber" player, and LeVert's numbers are in that range. Last season, he set several career marks, including 20.2 points, 5.2 assists and 4.6 rebounds. However, the oft-injured swingman also failed to play 50 games for the third consecutive season.

As for the Kings, they're reportedly making both De'Aaron Fox and Tyrese Haliburton off-limits, per The Athletic's Sam Amick, which could torpedo their trade chances. Unless there are big fans of Buddy Hield or Davion Mitchell in the Sixers' organization, it's tough to see Sacramento having enough to snag Simmons.

Extension Talks Between Deandre Ayton, Suns Reach an Impasse

In 2018, the Phoenix Suns liked Deandre Ayton enough to make him the first overall pick of a draft that featured Luka Doncic, Trae Young and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, among others. Three years later, Phoenix isn't sure whether Ayton is worth the max extensions those players received.

The Suns' hesitance to lock up Ayton on a max deal has "stalled discussions" about an extension, per Adrian Wojnarowski. Phoenix might have to reverse course if it wants to get a deal done, as Wojnarowski reported Ayton "has no intention of accepting a deal less than the [max]."

This could get tricky.

Ayton is a critical part of the Suns' present, which just featured a Finals run, and presumably their future. He can be an imposing presence in the paint, devouring rebounds, crushing lob passes and finessing his way to post points. But his numbers come and go, he doesn't always bring the necessary physicality and Phoenix fared no better with him than it did without last season.

Saying that, his age, physical gifts and skills point to star potential. It's up to the Suns to decide whether his combination of floor and ceiling is worth a max-contract commitment.

Thaddeus Young Likely to Stay in San Antonio for Now

Thaddeus Young looks out of place in the Alamo City.

He's a 33-year-old veteran with plenty to offer a win-now club. The Spurs are finally leaning into their first youth movement in decades.

The relationship doesn't seem likely to last, but Arizona Sports 98.7 FM's John Gambadoro reported "the belief is [Young] stays put in San Antonio for the time being." Gambadoro added the Suns are fans of Young but a trade to Phoenix is "doubtful."

Young's availability (or lack thereof, rather) might be the headline of this story, but its significance lies in the unknown details. Why isn't he likely to be traded in the near future? Are the Spurs hoping he'll help them compete, or are they simply convinced trade offers will improve the closer they are to the deadline? The latter seems more likely, but this franchise has a long history of pushing for maximum competitiveness, so the former can't be ruled out.